Grate-bar indicator.



I. s. VAN BUREN. GRATE BAR INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APRJIZ. I915.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916 n WWII I wve/wtoz Jafczr 6'; ZQnBuren qwmm Mm JAFEW S. VAN BUBEN, 0F ALBANY, NEW YORK.

GBATE-BAB INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed April 22, 1915. Serial No. 23,252.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AFEW S. VAN BUREN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grate-Bar Indicators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates broadly to improvements in stoves, ranges and the like, and more particularly to means on the exterior thereof for indicating the position of the grate bars which are hidden from view.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and inexpensive means of this class by the use of which the exact position of the grate bars may be readily ascertained at a glance, regardless In accomplishing this result, I employ certain novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, the invention being shown in the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a stove considered as equipped with a triplex grate, showing the construction of the indicator used for this type of grate; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section as seen along the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig.

1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the grate and the indicator therefor.

In these drawings a triplex grate 1 is shown comprising a pair of grate bars 2 which are triangular in end view, these bars being provided with the usual journals 3 at their opposite ends which project through the rear and front ends, or through corresponding parts of the case of the stove.

In the present embodiment of the invention, one of the journals 3 is shown as projected through the front A of the stove at a point disposed centrally within an annular bead 5, the outer end of this journal being squared or otherwise shaped as seen at 6 for the reception of a crank or the like for rotating the bars 2 at will.

Mounted upon the elongated journal 3 and disposed within the bead 5, is an indicator 7 comprising a substantially circular hub 8 and three indicating fingers 9 radiating from and formed integrally therewith, such fingers being spaced 120 from each other of the design of such bars.

as are the three corners of the grate bars 2. It will thus be evident that by alining the fingers 9 with the corners of said grate bars and by rigidly securing the indicator 7 upon the elongated journal 3, the exact position 0 the grate bars within the fire-box may be ascertained by the position of the triangular indicator 7 on the exterior thereof. In order to allow a person rotating these bars to properly position the same, however, the

words Proper position of grate are preferably cast or otherwise formed on the front of the stove within the bead 5, the disposition of these words or an equivalent legend, being such as to cause the same to occupy the uppermost 120 of the area surrounded by said bead. Thus, two of the fingers 9 may be disposed at opposite ends of the inscription, thereby correctly positioning the grate bars within the fire-box.

It is to be observed thatthe annular rib or head 5 so surrounds the indicator shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as to reliably protect such indicator against being broken by accidentally striking the same with stove lid lifters, pokers and the like.

I claim:

1. The combination with a stove having a grate bar triangular in end view, and a journal extending from the front end of said bar through and beyond the front side of the stove, of a legend on said front side of the stove adjacent the journal, a hub secured on said journal, and a trio of equally spaced fingers radiating from said hub and alined with the angles of the grate bar, the legend being of a length to be fully exposed between any two of the fingers, whereby any one of the three working positions of the grate bar may be ascertained from the exterior of the stove.

2. In combination, a stove having an upright wall formed with a bearing opening and with an annular outstanding rib spaced from said opening and disposed concentric therewith, a horizontal grate bar within the stove having a journal projecting through the aforesaid opening, said grate bar being triangular in end vie and being operative when set in any one of three positions, a hub secured to the journal and positioned in close proximity to the aforesaid wall of the stove, a trio of equally spaced fingers formed integrally with and radiating from the hub, said fingers having their outer sides positioned in approximately the same plane as the outer edge of the aforesaid rib, whereby they are protected against breakage by said rib, the outer ends of said fingers being disposed in strict alinement with the angles of the grate bar, and a legend on the aforesaid Wall of the stove between the rib and the journal, such legend being of a length to be fully exposed between any two of the fin- 10 gers, whereby any one of the three working positions of the grate bar may be ascertained from the exterior of the stove.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAFEW S. VAN BUREN.

Witnesses:

P. E. BAsT, GEORGE B. SNOWDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

